Recap Degrassi The Next Generation: Season 1, Episode 3 - Family Politics

Recap Degrassi The Next Generation: Season 1, Episode 3 - Family Politics

The opening scene begins with Ashley talking to Terri on the phone about the upcoming school year. The camera pans to a closeup of Ashley's campaign poster. Looks like Ashley is running for school president.

Later, Ashley tries to get into her bathroom, but Toby is already in it. They argue and it's discovered they are not biological or even step siblings, but are forced to co-habitate because their parents (Ashley's mom and Toby's dad) are living together. Toby runs out of the bathroom wearing Ashley's bra and she screams for her mom.

It's the first day of school at Degrassi, and Toby is complaining about Ashley to JT. He thinks she resents him and treats him like an unwanted house-guest because he and his dad live in her and her mother's house. On the other hand, Ashley is complaining to Terri about how annoying Toby is while she's putting up her campaign posters. They run into Paige for the first time and she says her cIassic line "New year, new look, new Paige".

Emma and Manny walk into school for the first time and run into two 8th graders, Jimmy and Spinner. They pick on the girls by demanding they have a hall pass. Emma and Manny meet up with JT, Toby and Liberty at what will be their new homeroom. They then meet their homeroom and Media Immersion teacher Mr. Simpson (also known as Snake). The eighth graders (Ashley, Terri, Paige, Jimmy and Spinner) meet their homeroom teacher Ms. Kwan. She immediately commends Ashley for starting her presidential campaign so early.

After getting out of homeroom Emma, Manny, JT and Toby notice Ashley's campaign posters on the wall. Toby hates the fact that no one is running against her, and he convinces JT to run a joke campaign to make her sweat. He begins printing out flyers and while putting them up he runs into Ashley, who doesn't take JT's nomination seriously.

Meanwhile, JT begins his campaign, saying he'll do what a real politician would do: "Absolutely nothing!" Ashley starts her campaign as well, addressing real issues such as starting a recycling program and getting the school a nighttime dance. Ashley's frustration begins when she sees that people are starting to pay attention to JT's speeches, mainly because he is funny. At home, Ashley confronts Toby for helping run JT's campaign. Ashley's mom walks in and says Toby should be allowed to help with his friend's campaign. Naturally, that upsets Ashley because she feels her mom always takes Toby's side.

On the day of the assembly, Toby and JT see that JT has as much school support as Ashley in the election. JT starts worrying that he might actually win. Meanwhile, in the hallway, Spinner blows a spitball at Manny, making her cry. Terri and Emma get mad and him for it and he feels guilty. It turns out that Manny was fake crying all along.

While JT is at his locker, Jimmy and Spinner grab him and take him to the locker room where Ashley is waiting. Ashley offers JT eighty dollars to drop out of the election, but only gives him half of the money. She promises him the rest when he comes through with his end of the promise. Toby finds out about the bribe and is angry because he thinks Ashley gets everything she wants. During JT's speech Toby confronts Ashley in the hallway. He threatens to tell the school about her bribing JT, but Ashley tells Toby that he gets all the attention at home and her mom cares more about him. Because she feels Toby has stolen everything she had at home, she wants the one thing that he couldn't take away from her: being school president.

In the final scene, Jimmy walks Ashley home and congratulates her on winning the election. Toby is sitting outside and congratulates Ashley too. He apologizes to her and they both realize that as long as they're living in the same house they have to at least try and get along better.